How I Got Married in a Cheap Wedding Dress

Every bride wants to look beautiful on their wedding day. Radiant, vibrant, breath-stoppingly gorgeous. But perhaps the biggest dilemma that plagues many brides, sometimes up to the week before the wedding (horrors!), is finding the right dress. How in the whole wide world, among the thousands upon thousands of dresses hanging in bridal shops and listed online, will she find the perfect, most dazzling wedding gown that will:

– make her look slender

– fit her personal “style”

– have the right neck cut, waist cut, train length, and sleeve style

– be approved by her mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother

– and oh….did we mention….it has to be cheap

*groan* As if the requirements weren’t difficult enough, “cheap” is the last thing that comes to mind when you think of wedding dresses. So what do Crumb Savers do when they want to acquire this lavish product, but plan a wedding for less than $3,000? This post won’t give you a comprehensive list of how to find a cheap wedding dress, but I’ll share our story of how I found my cheap wedding dress, and hopefully you will glean some lessons that will help in your quest to find yours.

1. Start Early

It was a stormy Saturday and Al and I had to drive an hour through torrential rain to attend a small country church in Arkansas. Amazingly, that afternoon the sky cleared up and we spent the day hiking around Cossatot Falls. It was there, sitting on a piece of old driftwood (I think the same one I fell and broke my rib on earlier that year), Al knelt on one knee and proposed. Here’s a picture of happy, young us moments before the big ask:

Taken right before Al proposed. (My, I was so young and skinny back then! Al looks slightly nervous.)

As happy and life-changing as that event was, the next day life continued as usual and we drove into Hot Springs to run a few errands. A few months before, a friend of ours (seeing that this relationship was on the move), had mentioned a place in town where she had seen wedding dresses with sleeves (since she knew this was my preference). Sure, Al and I had just gotten engaged yesterday and the reality was still sinking in, but hey, the knot was in the process of being tied, so we took a little detour to go check the place out.

Point #1: Granted, most women have looked for their wedding dress since they were little girls flipping through wedding magazines. But don’t procrastinate serious and purposeful wedding dress shopping. Don’t wait until you’ve gathered enough friends to tag along or can make the 3 hour trip to the trendiest store. Engaged? Start NOW! Good deals often take time and perseverance.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Look in Unconventional Places

Now, the place that our friend had recommended was not David’s Bridal. Neither was it An Affair to Remember or a quaint little wedding boutique in trendy downtown. Instead, it was the local swap meet/thrift store/antique warehouse in a dumpy part of Central Avenue. We parked in the huge empty parking lot and walked in. What a sight! Hundreds of vendors had their little space marked out with their wares displayed for sale. There must have been thousands of little knick-knacks in those stalls. From antique records, to old used shoes, glassware, and every trinket your grandmother ever wished she had. But it felt like a ghost town! The vendors must not have needed to man their booths, because besides us and the lady at the cash register, there were just a few people in that huge building amongst all that stuff. We very timidly walked down a few aisles, curiously peering in old steam trunks, and cautiously picking up figurines of women with parasols. And then we saw it…..the wedding dress stall.

Point #2: If you’re looking for an out-of-the-ordinary bargain on your dress, be open-minded to out-of-the-ordinary places: thrift stores, yard sales, Craigslist, maybe even a swap meet. It may take more time and a bit more effort, but this is one reason to start early. Conventional bridal shops and websites are always a backup option.

3. Be Open-Minded Regarding Style

Our friend was right, the wedding dresses were in the back left corner of the store. Most were half dangling off their hangers and many had fallen from the rusty clothes racks into a yellowed heap on the dirty floor. But….they did have sleeves! And this was our first official wedding planning excursion, so we were determined to make the most of it. The lady at the front said there were no fitting rooms, but “you’re welcome to try it on behind a clothes rack.” And so I did! Here’s the first one. What do you think?

Yeah, Al didn’t like it either. (Why would someone want a zipper on the front of their wedding dress???)

How about this one? (Remember we were trying the best of the bunch!)

I thought this one had a little more potential. That bottom material with the train was actually quite nice. But the top? Al said, “No way!”

Then Al pulled one off the rack and said, “How about this one?” It was 4 sizes too big, so I hadn’t really looked at it. But I was willing to try! (Had gotten better at changing behind the clothes rack, but can you imagine how hard it was to manipulate those long, multilayer wedding dresses?)

I wasn’t too sure as it felt pretty huge, but Al kind of liked it! (Ha! Can you imagine?) So, out of curiosity, we went to the cashier lady again to find out the cost. We were sure it couldn’t be the $1,280 on the original price tag still attached to the dress.

“$40 and no returns!” she exclaimed.

We looked at each other. “Isn’t that how much tax would be for a normal wedding dress?……hmmm…….We’ll take it!”

Amazingly, once we took it away from that musty, dirty warehouse, the dress looked slightly better.

But I didn’t want to be biased just by the price. So I pulled out a wedding planning book and scoured the options for necklines, waistlines, and styles. And do you know what I found out? I had found the perfect dress. I loved the neck, the waist, and the style. I was thrilled! But the fact is, I never would have known that I loved the dress if I hadn’t been open-minded enough to give it a try.

Point #3: Know what you like and what you’re looking for, but don’t be afraid to try what’s not on your radar. Being open to a range of good possibilities may actually help you determine and then find what is the perfect dress, because you may not realize it until you try it. Plus, limiting your options on style may also limit your options on finding a good deal.

4. Get Alterations

We asked around and found a seamstress, an elderly lady from Turkey, who worked from her home. She said that to make the dress fit perfectly, she would have to remove the side seams and pretty much take the whole dress apart. It was a big job! When it was all said and done, she made the dress 4 sizes smaller, shortened the length, and added lace to cover the low back all for $45! We joked that it was a little painful because the alterations cost more than the dress itself.

Point #4: Alterations can change a voluptuous bag of a dress into a well-fitted, well-formed formal wedding attire. Look at a dress through alteration-tinted glasses. However, keep in mind that alterations can get quite costly at a professional shop. Ask around to see if there is someone who is qualified but does it from home and they will usually be much cheaper.

5. Borrow from Friends

A friend had a petticoat from being a bridesmaid that she was kind enough to let me borrow. And another friend lent me her gorgeous veil and tiara. The bridal attire was complete!

Point #5: Friends are always excited to be involved in your wedding. You’ll be surprised what people have stored in their closets and garages and are happy to share!

6. Save on the Groom Too!

Don’t forget Mr. Crumb Saver! We visited a few formalwear stores in the area and decided that renting a tux was not worth the $50-100. A tux just didn’t seem that much better than Al’s sharp-looking black suit. So Al found a white vest and tie on Amazon for $25 and paid for it using Amazon gift cards he had on hand (which means we had no out-of-pocket expense). Al still wears his black suit, and the vest and tie are now available for the next formal occasion or for the next Crumb Saving groom to borrow.

Point #6:Don’t think that renting a tux has to be a necessity. Instead, spruce a dignified-looking suit up with a vest and tie, ceremonious boutonniere, and smartly-shined shoes. Men don’t tend to be as picky about their wedding attire as the bride, and every guy should have a nice suit in his wardrobe anyway!

Total Attire Costs (including tax)

The Final Product

Finally! Here are a few pictures of the $40 dress and my handsome groom on our big day.

Do you have a great story on how you found your wedding dress? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Comments

Wow! I had no idea about the story behind your dress. I got mine on clearance from an LDS website for like $280 (not including alterations) and I thought that was a good deal, but your deal tops that! Kind of funny, a few years ago I found some pictures of fancy ladies in dresses that I had drawn when I was a little girl. I suddenly realized that they had vintage layered skirts petticoat-style with a train like my wedding dress! So the style I gravitated toward as an adult was subconsciously the style I liked as a little girl. 😀

They say the national average for wedding dresses is $1,281, so you’re still under by $1,000! 🙂 Awww, you should keep the pictures you drew and show them to your children (who knows, it might influence their future wedding attire preferences, too!).

Wow, I amazed by the alterations! You look radiant. I would love to see what she did with the back.

My husband and I got married on the beach. My wedding dress was a very simple long white linen dress that I found in the White House/Black Market store. It was $100, which is WAY more than I would pay for a dress normally, but I felt like it was a good deal for a wedding dress. I didn’t have a veil or anything, it wasn’t that kind of a dress.

My husband wore nice pants and a shirt that he bought for the occasion. 13 years later, he still wears them. I never wear my dress, though. I am a stain magnet when I wear white. Maybe I will break it out for our 50th anniversary.

Wow, sounds like you guys must have saved a lot on your wedding, Tarynkay! It’s great to hear other people’s stories, so thanks for sharing your experience.

I couldn’t find a good picture of the back of my dress, but she basically put some lace and had its edge go straight across my back so it matched the front neckline. I was a little nervous that she would pick out a funny, old-person looking lace, but it looked fine and actually wasn’t seen much because of the veil. 🙂

Your dress looked gorgeous on you and wow, what a price! Mine was not even close to that cheap. After alterations it cost about $1600 (about double what I had wanted to pay) but I loved the dress and still do. I’m glad I chose it.

We got married for under $3000 too. I went to an evening wear shop at 5 months pregnant to find a wedding dress. After trying on a gorgeous midnight blue dress of velvet and chiffon the French boutique owner wanted to know what the dress was for. I said for my wedding but after I have the baby. In her beautiful french accent she said “No, you can’t wear blue to your wedding. I will find you a dress and call you when it arrives”. A week later I got a call to tell me my unseen dress had arrived. It was the same style as the blue onebut in real satin with subtle pearl trims – i loved it! It was$300 and perfect. 4 months later baby Ruby arrives, the wedding is 11 weeks away and my dress won’t fit! My mother in law flies 2000km to take it all apart and make it bigger. She was a seamstress and the dress made me feel truly beautiful on my wedding day. 20 years later I still love it.

Wow, that is such a touching story! I can just imagine how radiant and beautiful you looked in your dress after an experience like that! ? It is stories like this that make our weddings extra memorable, isn’t it? Thank you so much for sharing!

I think that is a very good point to be open minded regarding style! A lot of times when you go dress shopping for the first time, what you think you want may not be what actually looks good on you. That can be a hard adjustment for a lot of girls so having an open mind will help make everything easier.

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Meet Deb & Al

She's a bargain hunter and he's a numbers nerd. Together we're a husband and wife team who believe that by living an intentionally frugal life, the door flings open to a truly fulfilled existence. Read More…

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